Brake-lever



(No Model.) I

W. MGPHERSON.

BRAKE LEVER. Y No. 379,969. Patented Mar. 27, 1888.

- 6-1" a I V L6) N. PETERS. HmhLilhognpher, Wnhingiun. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN W.'M OPHERSON, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

' BRAKE- LEVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,969, dated March 27, 1888.

Application filed September 8, 1887. Serial No. 249,072. (No model.)

To all whom' it may concern.-

' Be it known that I, JOHN W. MOPHERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Lever for Manipulating the Draw-Rod'of a Wagon-Brake, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in levers for forcing the shoe of a wagon-brake through its draw-rod against the 'face of the tire of the wagon-wheel, and the objects are,

first, to acquire the greatest leverage from the lever-arm when the shoe isagainst the tire of the wheel-that is, when the lever-arm is thrown forward and is moving near the farthest extent permitted; second, to arrange the pawl with a projection and the arc of the plate forward of its teeth somewhat on a tangent, or not a true circle, so that as the pawl passes forward of the teeth such portion of the arc will so guide the front end of the pawl as to cause its projection to bind or look against the connected parallel short arm of the lever-arm to prevent the device'from rattling and the lever-arm from lateral or other movement;

' and, thirdflto so connect the finger elbow-le-' ver upon the lever-arm and the pawl, so that the projection on the pawl, coming in contact with the connected parallel short arm of the lever-arm, will limit the movement of the finger elbow-lever so as to prevent pinching the fingers or hand ofthe operator when operating the same. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of my device as it appears when attached to the side of a wagonbox. Fig. 2 is a front or plan view of the plate. Fig. 3 is a top view of the same. Fig. 4 is a front or plan view of arm E, and Fig. 5 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. A represents the plate, segmental in form, or having an arc,- which plate is attached to the side'of a wagon-box by the bolts and nuts a andb; and 0 represents teeth or notches upon the arc of said plate.

wardly from the wagon-box and leave an open space between its inner surface and the wagon box by curvingthe two extreme ends of the plate inward, so as to form legs terminating in feet,

with holes through which bolts a and I) pass to secure the plate to-the side of the wagon;box.v Midway upon a line substantially the chord of the arc of said plate I pivot the lever-arm B to said plate by the bolt d, which lever-arm extends both above and below said pivotal point d. On the outer side of plate A, I also pivot on bolt d a short parallel arm, 0, which.

extends substantially the same distance below said pivotal point as does lever-arm B, but, however, said lever-arm B is pivoted on the inner side of plate A. Just below the arc of plate A, I pivot, between lever-armB and parallel short arm 0, the pawl D, so that its front endmay engage with the teeth ornotches 0, its other end being sufficiently heavy or weighted to automatically. raise the other end and keep it in engagement with said teeth'or notchesc. Near the upper end of lever-arm B is pivoted a finger elbow-lever, e, to the short arm of which elbow-lever is attached the upper end of connecting-rod f, which passes down along lever-arm B, and its lowerend is attached to the heavy or weighted part of.

pawl D. p

The handle or upper part of finger elbowlever e, when pulledtoward lever-arm B by the operator, disengages pawl D from the notches or teeth 0.;1A projection, g, on pawl D limits its movement bycoming in contact with the short parallel arm 0, and through connecting-rod f also. limits the movement of the operator cannot be pinched when manipu-.

lating the lever-arm and pawl.

Thearc of plate A, forward of the teeth or notches c, is not continued in a true circle, I but extends forward somewhat in a tangent at V 0', so that when the forward end of pawl D passes forward of said teeth or notches c it moves against this tangent part of the arc,

which elevates the opposite end of pawl D, so

that its projection 9 comes in contact andbinds IIOO of which slot is inserted the roller K upon proper bearings. At the upper part of said arm E, near the bend or turn, are perforations l and m; but I do not limit myself to these, as-

one or more perforations may be made.

The lever-arm B, above its pivotal point d, is inserted through slot j, back of roller K. Attached to the customary device in a wagonbrake for setting the shoe against the face of the tire of the wheel,and forreleasing it therefrom, is the usual and ordinary draw-rod, n, the forward end of which is attached to my lever through one of the perforations l or m in arm E. When the lever-arm B is thrown back, as shown in Fig. 1, the shoe is thrown out of engagement with the face of the tire on the wagon-wheel; but by throwing the lever-arm Band its attachment forward, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the draw-rod n is forced forward and the shoe pressed backward against the face of the tire of the wheel. It will be observed that in this operation, after arm E passes forward, that part of it at j will traverse also downward on lever-arm B,s0 that the connection of draw-rod n in perforations Z or m will gradually approach nearer to the pivotal point d of lever-arm B as said leverarm is moved forward, thus continuously increasing the leverage of said lever-arm. It will also be observed that either one of the perforations Z or m may be used for securing the forward end of draw-rod n, and if perforation Z has been used for a considerable time for such purpose, and the shoe has become worn,the draw-rod a may be changed to perforation m, in which case the slack-will be taken up and the shoe do more effective service. It will also be observed that by placing bolt a through perforation h or 'i the leverage of leverarm B will be increased or diminished, accordingly as one or the other may be used.

When the operatordesires to push back the draw-rod n to release the shoe from engagement with the tire of the wheel, he places his hand around the upper part of lever-arm B, and with his fingers presses the upper part of finger elbow-lever e, which disengages pawl D from the teeth or notches c, and then moves said lever-arm backward, the front end of pawl D moves forward against the arc of the plate until that part c, which slightly raises the opposite end of pawl D causes its projection g to bind against the short parallel arm 0, for the purpose hereinbefore explained.

The drawings represent the construction and arrangement considered best; but I do not limit myself to the construction and arrangement here shown, because I have herein only represented but one of the many forms in which the invention may be embodied.

I do not claim as new in a wagon-brake a draw-rod connected with the lever-arm, and an arc, sector, or segmental bracket having notches or teeth on its lower edge to engage with a weighted or gravitating pawl on the pivoted lever-arm; but the important featuresof my inyention are- First. The addition of the projection g to the weighted pawl D, and the forward extension of the are or segmental bracket 0, not in a true circle, but on a tangent, as at 0'. By these devices the lever-arm, when not in use to apply the brake, is held rigidly, so that it will not rattle or cause noise from the movement of the wagon. The front end of the pawl resting against that part of the are at 0 causes the projection g to bind against the lever-arm and rigidly hold it.

Second. The addition of the projection g to the weighted pawl, with the connecting-rodf, attached between said pawl and the elbowlever e, limits the movement of elbow-lever e, by reason of projection 9 coming in contact with the lever-arm, thus avoiding danger of pinching the fingers when operating the leverarm.

Third. The addition of the pivoted arm E, to swing or move in another circle than that of the lever-arm, its outer end encircling or partially encircling said lever-arm, so that movement of the lever-arm forward or back will also move arm E in a'circle forward or back, and cause its outer end to traverse upward or downward on said lever-arm nearer to or farther from its fulcrum, and connecting the draw-rod to arm E, instead of to the lever-arm, gives increasing or diminishing leverage to the lever-arm to pull or push the draw-rod as the lever-arm is moved forward or backward.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a lever for manipulating the draw-rod of a wagon-brake, the combination of a plate having a serrated are, a lever-arm and pawl.

adapted to co-operate therewith, together with a projection on the pawl adapted to bind against a parallel arm connected to the lever-arm when the front end of the pawl, moved by the leverarm, comes in contact with the arc of the plate forward of its serration, substantially as de scribed.

. 2. In a lever for manipulating the draw-rod of a wagon-brake, the combination of .a plate having a serrated arc, a lever-arm and pawl attached, adapted to engage with said serration, and to be disengaged by an elbow-lever upon the lever-arm, connected with said pawl by a rod, together with a projection upon said pawl, adapted to limit the movement of said pawl, connecting-rod, and elbow-lever by coming in contact with a parallel arm connected to the lever-arm, substantially as described.

3. In a lever attached to'the side of a wagonbox for manipulating the draw-rod in a wagonbrake, the combination of a pivoted or" hinged lever-arm, the arm E, pivoted at one end to the 5 side of the wag0n-b0x or its equivalent, the other end encircling or partially encircling the lever-arm, and a draw-rod connected to said arm near itspointof attachment with said leverarm, whereby increased leverage is gained by the lever-arm to pull the draw-rod at a time IO when the shoe of the brake rests against the tire of the wheel, substantially as described.

' JOHN W. MOPHERSON. Witnesses:

L. M. -FISHER, W. O. WARRINER. 

